Chelsea got the job done in the third round of the FA Cup, dispatching lower league Scunthorpe United by a comfortable-sounding 2-0 scoreline. Even though it wasn't exactly the most entertaining match to ever grace Stamford Bridge, to Vice-captain Branislav Ivanovic, it was still an intense and important contest.
"It was very difficult. We scored our first goal very early which gave us the chance to dominate the first half. In the second half we lost control for 15 minutes. Then we started to play our game like in the first half and scored a second goal, and controlled the game. We expected them to take this game like professionals and it's good that we're going through."
"I think Scunthorpe, after the first half, decided to go higher [with their line]. They put pressure on us, they were more aggressive on our back-four, so they had a couple of chances to shoot on our goal. I think we dominated the game and this is important for us to go through. We are improving as a team and I hope we will be better."
"In the moment we have to take every game very seriously and this is the shot that we may have to go to Wembley, and I think we are still not focused for that. We have a long way to go and we have to go game by game. [The FA Cup] is one of our targets."
-Branislav Ivanovic
Most of the Chelsea headlines belonged to teenager Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who scored his first senior goal for the club, a goal that sealed the game for the Blues in the 69th minute. RLC only played the second half, but agreed with Ivanović's assessment of our tenacious opponents who certainly lived up to their nickname 'The Iron'.
"It was a really nice moment. My first goal and I'm really happy about that but I'm also happy for coming on and play for 45 minutes. [A goal from his first shot on target] it's amazing. 1 for 1, 100%. I'll try to keep that going. Like I said, I'm just happy to have to come on and help the team."
"It was a real battle. They came in with massive motivation to be on so we had to match that and I think everyone thought if we match them, our quality would come over that and it did."
-Ruben Loftus-Cheek
This was Loftus-Cheek's second appearance under Guus Hiddink, and unlike the first time, he received more than just a few seconds of stoppage time time-wasting action. The youngster thanked the fans on social media and was also quite happy that the manager gave him the chance to impress.
"I'm really pleased to play for him, he's a really nice man as well as a good manager. It's been different, obviously with a change of managers but we've got to get on with it and I feel we did really well."
-Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Hiddink might not have handed out starts to the likes of Ruben or Kenedy or Bertrand Traoré, but given their impressive performances, especially Ruben's, hopefully they will be used a bit more often going forward for the rest of the season.